Scriptural Figures and the Fringes of the New Testament Canon

The formation of the Christian biblical canon remains a contested and mysterious subject, complicated by the dating of ancient texts, disagreement among ancient writers, and questions of the authenticity (or not) of various scriptural works. The Catholic Epistles -- James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, and Jude -- are a significant wrench in the gears of the process that formed the New Testament collection, not least because of issues like authorship and references to other Jewish and Christian scriptures. This book explores the use of characters in the Catholic letters originating from the Jewish and Christian scriptural pasts who serve as both exemplary models of behaviour and authorial mouthpieces. Such figures and their textual afterlives maintain links to both now-canonical works and noncanonical tradition.